EventsParenting

Upcoming Events and COTW!

It’s been a busy week here on Skepchick, thanks mostly to those of you who are promoting your favorite articles on sites like Reddit, Stumbleupon, and Digg. Thanks, and welcome to all the n00bies!

Before I get to the Comment o’ the Week, I’ll mention a few events coming up:

  • Here in Boston, Anonymous will hold a candlelight vigil in front of the Church of Scientology to remember the death of Lisa McPherson, a woman who died while under the care of the “Church.” More info on the non.violent forums. (Aside: speaking of Anon, if you’d like to help in their ongoing campaign to educate the public about the CoS, you may consider donating to support the site WhyWeProtest.net, which costs volunteers about $870/month to operate. More info here.)
  • Also in the Boston area, tomorrow I’ll be attending the Harvard’s Humanist of the Year award, given this year to Dan McGowan of parentingbeyondbelief.com. It’s free and happening in the Fong Auditorium of Boylston Hall in Harvard Yard, and there’s a seminar afterward for a fee.
  • Next week (Saturday, December 13), I’m taking the Boston Skeptics on a trip to the Museum of Science, followed by Skeptics in the Pub! Info is here.
  • Also on the 13th, Maria will be at Atlanta Skeptics in the Pub! See the Events Calendar for the details.
  • Also next week, A will be hosting Drinking Skepchickally in San Francisco on the 10th, and with Carr2D2 in San Diego on the 11th! See the Events Calendar for the details.
  • See the same calendar for more events around the world! Okay, mostly in North America and the UK. Those of you in other places are encouraged to submit your event here.

Okay, on to the COTW!

We had thousands of comments posted this week, but one among them received the rare triple-nomination. Sam’s call for readers to vent their every frustration was sure to get some entertaining rants, and Oakes’ comedic use of over-the-top violence certainly delivered:

OakesNo Gravatar // Dec 4, 2008 at 4:19 pm

I know this seems somewhat petty, what with all the horrible shit going on in the world, but the thing that annoys me most consistently are commercials.

I don’t watch a lot of TV, but the few shows I do watch are constantly ruined by insipid, innane, intellectually-stunting pitches. I usually have a book handy, so the second “Mythbusters” cuts to a commercial, I can mute the TV and read for a few minutes.

But sometimes the filth breaks through the filter…

I’m not a violent man, but I swear on the perpetually-pissed soul of Buford Pusser that, if I ever see that “Can you hear me now?” jackass from the Verizon commercials, I will chop him in the throat with no warning. And I will feel good about it.

And that “band” from the Free Credit Report.com commericals? I would kidnap them, chain them up in an abandoned house in the country, and violate every single Geneva convention. Twice.

Oh, Oakes. Never have I seen such an adorable armadillo (I think that’s your avatar?) lash out with such well-aimed fury. For your comment, you get one free month of Skepchick Anger Management Classes® at the Learning Annex, where you’ll learn skills like calmly explaining the basics of evolutionary theory to a creationist, and quietly sitting in the presence of strangers reading horoscopes aloud. Congratulations!

Rebecca Watson

Rebecca is a writer, speaker, YouTube personality, and unrepentant science nerd. In addition to founding and continuing to run Skepchick, she hosts Quiz-o-Tron, a monthly science-themed quiz show and podcast that pits comedians against nerds. There is an asteroid named in her honor. Twitter @rebeccawatson Mastodon mstdn.social/@rebeccawatson Instagram @actuallyrebeccawatson TikTok @actuallyrebeccawatson YouTube @rebeccawatson BlueSky @rebeccawatson.bsky.social

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13 Comments

  1. Naw, that’s a pangolin… which makes the threats all the more dire. The pangolins I’ve known all take their violations of the Geneva convention very seriously.

  2. Dec 5th vigil,

    That’s the best idea I’ve heard in a while.

    Simple, to the point, and shows anyone who’d stand against it for the intolerant, A-holes that they are.

    How stupid would you have to be to interfere with a vigil? (I’m sure they’re gonna show us).

    I’ll be hitting the intertubes to see if there is anything like that going on at the Celeb Center, in Hollywood.

    Piss off St. David AND visit some nice restaurants, nearby, that I haven’t hit in a while.

    It’s a win-win.

    rod

  3. people should come to the skepticsinthepub event Dec.13th and drink a lot. Because the more you drink, the better the talk is.

    Learn about Venusians. We miss them still….

  4. Rebecca, hopefully I can make it to the museum next Saturday. I am thinking of taking the train down from Portland, as alcohol may be involved, or so I hear. What time do we guestimate the festivities to be wrapping up so I can purchase train tix in advance? Thanks!

  5. @halincoh: Awesome! I’d wager we’ll be finished with the talk and the extra-curricular boozing by 5pm (though honestly, with this crowd you can never be too sure it won’t go clear through til Sunday).

  6. Thanks Rebecca. I’m looking foward to actually seeing who we are in person as much as what we say on the internet. TAM is also on my list this year.

    Also, though Steve has done a great job of defining what a skeptic is, can’t we change the name of “us” – skeptic is so … um … curmudgeonly. How ’bout people advancing scientific thought and critical thinking or PASTACTers how ’bout women and men, becoming analytical, more scientific and less superstitious, always fowarding untold critical knowledge, engaging reality sensibly or WAMBAM SALSA FUCKERS?

    Ah … never mind. SKEPTIK will do just find.

  7. Thanks, all! And, as Aaron mentioned, my avatar is, in fact, a pangolin, a magical creature that totally kicks any other animal’s ass. The pangolin is, as Rebecca noted, filled with both righteous indignation and infinite cuteness.

  8. I am sorry, but your hate against commercials doens’t go far enough to me. ^_^ They always ruin good parts of tv shows.

  9. Rebecca, sorry for the delay, but I’m definitely coming now. I assume it’s too late to get a ticket through you at this late date. Box office opens at 9AM. Yes? Is that the only way to get a ticket or can I get one online beforehand? Either way , I’ll be part of the gaggle of skeptics at 10AM in the front lobby.

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